Goodbye, Silkie
by Rurouni Tyriel
Summary: The Titans have lost one of their own. Not even heroes can save everybody. And now they must learn to deal with the fact that one of them is never going to come back.


**Disclaimer:**

I don't own the Teen Titans, though I wish I did.

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**Summary:**

The Titans have lost one of their own. Not even heroes can save everybody. And now they must learn to deal with the fact that one of them is never going to come back. Takes place sometime after, 'The End' Rated R for serious, somber tones.

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It had all happened so fast.

No one was to blame. It was an accident, after all. Something no one could have foreseen, let alone prevented. Even the Teen Titans weren't able to save everyone, try though they might.

It had been an ordinary day. And an ordinary afternoon. Late afternoon, to be specific. Since it was late summer, it was still warm out. Silkie had needed a walk, and Starfire never could deny her bumbglorf anything. So they'd gone out on a walk through Jump City, through downtown, hoping to walk past the clothing store where Starfire had seen the most beautiful dress this side of the galaxy. She had not enough money to buy it, but she could not help gazing at it through the window.

It had all happened so fast.

The driver was not to blame, his truck was so high off the ground that by the time Silkie had moved, it was far too late to stop. Starfire certainly wasn't to blame. She'd only been trying to switch hands, since Silkie's leash had been irritating her wrist... and it had slipped. Silkie wasn't to blame... the mutated moth larva was simply very energetic, very strong, it pulled, it had no idea of the danger...

It had all happened so fast.

A small crowd had gathered around the kneeling super heroine and her beloved pet, all trying to offer aid at once, advice, blankets (eagerly accepted, for she had read that it was best to keep a pet warm after an accident). Silkie did seem fine, though the front tire had nearly completely rolled over the little maggot. Starfire was hoping (praying to X'Hal, really) that the rubbery, bouncy body of the being had enabled it to escape with minor injuries. She was in total shock, her voice a frantic pitch as she had wondered aloud what to do. Only then did she remembered she'd left her Titan communicator back in the Tower, not expecting trouble on such a beautiful afternoon (now evening).

Belatedly, she accepted an offer from a complete stranger (the back of her mind realized it was the goth boy from the warehouse dance) and allowed them to dial the secret number to Titan's Tower. She stuttered as she spoke, her voice alternately shouting and suddenly gone, tears threatening to spill from her emerald eyes as she stayed by Silkie's side, trying to coax it to stay still. She dare not move it until she knew it was safe to do so, otherwise it could be hurt further.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the road cleared as the familiar (and most welcome) visage of blue and white came barreling down the streets, and almost before it had stopped the side-door to the T-Car had popped open and Beastboy had all but flown out the side of the door, landing beside Starfire. Half a dozen tried to explain the situation all at once, but he ignored them, listening only to Starfire as she told him to grab Silkie's head and help her move him into the trunk of the T-Car. Then they could take her back to Titan's Tower and see how badly she was hurt...

... and fix her... heal her. Raven was not around, she was visiting Azarath, but surely there was something they could do. Cyborg's medical station was state-of-the-art, and Beastboy was a surprisingly intuitive person when it came to animal physiology. Between them, and Robin, who could do anything...

... Starfire sat in the back of the T-Car, patting Silkie, listening to the frantic, quick gasps of breath from the quivering larva, listening to them grow more frantic, whispering words of encouragement, all the while silently urging her friends to go faster...

But they did not make it.

Silkie's breathing slowed, his head lifted briefly to peer up at Starfire's... not accusingly... but fondly... and then he slumped to the floor of the T-Car. Starfire, numb, could barely comprehend what happened for a full moment, continuing to pat her favorite pet larva, imagining (hoping) what could be done to save it. To keep it alive and healthy.

But he did not make it.

Starfire belatedly realized that a full moment later, and gave the larva a tentative shake, hoping to see some reaction. Some indication it was alive. She would have let it bite her (she had heard some dogs did this if grievously wounded) just to know it was alive. To see life shining in it's beady black eyes. But they were dull and lifeless. And it was still. She almost jerked her hand back in shock.

She heard, only dimly, Cyborg talking to her from the front seat, stating again and again how close they were to Titan's Tower. What they'd do when they got there. She heard, perhaps a bit more clearly, Beastboy, who was asking if Silkie was okay. And when he received no answer... he finally broached the dreaded subject and asked:

"Is... is Silkie dead, Starfire?"

And she'd managed to croak out a very weak: Yes.

They did all they could when they reached the Tower. Cyborg checked an re-checked for Silkie's vitals, heart-rate, breathing, pulse... but it only confirmed it. Silkie had departed from this plane of existence. Beastboy was crying, though he stubbornly tried to wipe his tears away. He'd known Silkie longest, Silkie had been if not the Titan's mascot, his pet. And now he was gone.

But Starfire... Starfire could not feel anything. She was totally numb. Her arm was asleep, and she stared blankly ahead. Both of her fellow Titans were surprised. They half-expected her to be bawling her eyes out, sobbing like she'd lost a member of her family (which, in a sense, she had) but all she did was slump down into a chair in the Titan's infirmary, staring blankly at Silkie's now lifeless body as it lay there on the table before her.

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The burial was a quiet affair... simple... only five in attendance. All dressed in mourning black (Cyborg had slapped an armband onto his still-flesh and blood arm) and gathered at the base of Titan's Tower, shielded by it's shadow as the sun began to rise. Silkie's grave was simple, a black storage box, lovingly filled with her toys, and buried in the ground with a marker, much like the one at Terra's gravesite. It read:

"Silkie. A Teen Titan. A True Friend."

Even if her status had been honorary, and mostly as a mascot, the Titans felt it fitting Silkie be thought of... remembered... as a Titan.

None of them had slept all night. Raven had returned during midnight, Robin much sooner, both were offering what aid they could. But there was nothing they could do either. Raven's magic could heal but it could not bring back the dead. And Robin... not even the Boy Wonder could save everybody.

They kept saying it wasn't her fault. Starfire shook her head angrily. She half-believed them... but she wondered who's fault then it was?

The drivers? No, they'd stopped as soon as they realized they'd hit something to offer help and apologize. They couldn't have seen Silkie anyway... their car was too high off the ground, and Silkie so small. It had been too sudden.

Silkie's fault? He had been tugging awful hard, but surely would not have run into the street if he'd seen the car coming. The little thing simply had been unable to comprehend what was going on.

Starfire's? She had let go of the leash, even briefly. She could have called for help sooner, she could have flown Silkie to a veterinary clinic. She could have...

... there was nothing she could have done.

But she still felt sad. Sick, almost. She could barely stand at the funeral, she'd had to be supported by leaning against Robin, who did what he could for her. He even had a number of handkerchiefs ready for when her eyes started to swim with tears. He always had been rather thoughtful. Beastboy remarked he must have kept them in his utility belt, and that had lightened the mood a little.

But just a little.

One by one, the Titans had flitted off, moving away, paying their respects. First Cyborg... then Raven... then Robin, giving Starfire a gentle pat on the shoulder. That left only Beastboy and Starfire. Eventually, Beastboy too left, but Starfire could not bring herself to move. As if from sheer force of will she could make Silkie live again.

A shudder rippled her frame, she shivered, feel the awful weight of death upon her. She'd been there, after all. She'd seen the accident, she'd been holding Silkie's hand (so to speak) when he'd died. Right then and there, she'd been that close to death.

Eventually, she placed the flowers she'd clutched in her hand down onto the stone marker, and bid a final farewell to her beloved pet Silkie, whispering a prayer to X'Hal to guide his spirit to a place he would be happy.

She made her way back into the Tower. Right now it was quiet, none of the Titans would talk much... or for very long. None would look at one another. It would be some time before laughter, before warmth, before happiness again filled the T-shaped structure that was home to under aged heroes.

But it would never be truly the same again.

And neither would Koriand'r of Tamaran.

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**Author's Notes:**

This story is dedicated to Wolf, a snow white half-huskie/half-unknown dog, and a family pet who was recently lost to us in a tragic car accident similar to what happened above. May you rest in peace, Wolf. You were one of the family.


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